Family Issues and Soothing Heartbeats
by Karen Hikari
Summary: Sometimes a mother's love trembled and the chances of being lucky were slim. Sometimes hero complexes pulled into complicated situations. When there was love, even a cloth excursion could become enjoyable, when there was love could dark pasts could be forgotten, beaming orbs kept safe. And, when satires left empty hearts, there was always a soothing heartbeat at the end. Males Week
1. A Mother's Love

**Hello! I'm so excited right now! Malec Week is finally here! I've literally been planning this for two months! I love these cuties so much, I can't even! When I saw the fandom would organise this event I was head-over-heals because, c'mon, it's always so much fun to work with Magnus and Alec and to do it for a complete week it's just a dream come true.**

 **Okay now, to the story. When I read "Born to Endless Night" (this one-shot does not contain any spoiler of the after mentioned although my rambling might. Nothing important, I promise) I was very touched by the scene in which Maryse apologizes to Magnus, and also by how Magnus reacts. I mean, something like that could have gone so much worse than it did on the book, after all that Maryse did, after all that Magnus has suffered and yet... they're just tired, they don't want to start a fight again, they simply want to enjoy their family that has, somehow, become the same.**

 **So it just... you guys know how much of a sucker for Hurt/Comfort I am, so don't sat I didn't warn you. This is a little something that includes Maryse, Magnus and acceptance. The idea came out of nowhere and it had been in the "pendants" list for a long while, so when the chance to write this for Malec Week came I simply took it.**

 **I really hope you enjoy it! ;)**

* * *

 ** _Saturday-Family Life  
A Mother's Love_**

* * *

To say that Magnus Bane was familiarized with the New York Institute was an understandment―he'd been around for a long time and so had that place.

However, that didn't mean that he had to like the place or anything that it represented. For centuries Magnus had seen how shadowhunters, self-proclaimed saviors of the world, treated his kind as if they were inferior, worthless, not good enough to share the world with them, not even good enough to _live_ in it and, quite honestly, the warlock wasn't interested in visiting such a place only to be looked down at.

On the other hand, warlocks like him had distinguished themselves for charging when it came to his magic and shadowhunters, heroic as they were, often needed the help of the demoniac spawn to get their own things solved, which concluded with him being forced to attend boring meetings at the Institute more often than he'd wished.

For once, though, Magnus had a happier reason to be standing at the doorway of the antique church now that he was dating someone that lived there and, even if Alexander Lightwood wasn't the kind of person to enjoy a serenade, the warlock still rejoiced in simple things such as passing by to pick him up, as long of course as his boyfriend's parents weren't there to express their discomfort at his appearance.

Which was precisely what he was doing right then, as he waited in the Institute's dining room for Alexander to return, given how just before they left the building the shadowhunter had decided it would probably rain and he needed a coat. Without second thoughts Magnus had agreed to wait for him downstairs―which had only been the calmness before the storm.

At first he didn't notice her, as the place was much too dark and all Maryse Lightwood ever wore was black or an obscure shade of blue. Plus, his mind wasn't actually in the antique building, too dilapidated to appreciate its beauty, too full of ghosts to be attractive.

It wasn't until the Lightwood matriarch spoke that he took notice of her and turned to meet the woman, a little stunned.

"Magnus Bane, can I have a word with you?" she questioned, more like ordered, gesturing for a chair next to her, even though she herself was standing.

Deciding against making a scene merely because his first impulse was to answer 'I'd rather stay here' he neared the woman even when he remained upright.

"I'd like to talk to you about a couple of issues" Maryse continued, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well, shoot" the warlock replied shortly, reminding himself to be bit more formal when Maryse pursed her lips.

"Pardon me?" she questioned.

"I meant to say go ahead, Maryse" he replied, refraining himself from rolling his eyes.

"As I was saying" she continued, shaking her head, as if to say this was all a setback. "You and I, Magnus Bane, have known each other for a long time and we've managed a good relationship when it comes to work, so it's indeed very shameful for me to ask a favor from you, do you understand?" she offered.

This time, Magnus actually had to bite his lower lip to stop himself from snorting.

"That I do get" he muttered through gritted teeth, although Maryse decided upon ignoring that detail.

"But, as it turns out right now, it's the love of a mother what pushes me to speak to you and ask you to leave Alexander alone" she concluded, throwing her shoulders back, her chin raised to appear higher than the warlock was, even when he was still two good inches taller than her, overlooking the fact that she was wearing high-heels.

This time, no amount of chewing on his cheek was able to stop Magnus from letting his true emotions show on his features.

"Excuse me?" he nearly spat at her, too astonished to mind etiquette.

"As you've heard" Maryse nodded stoically. "If you loved my son half as you claim you do, you'd understand, Bane. You see, think of it in the best interest of Alexander―once this caprice burns down and he realizes his mistake… once his reputation is already stained with this eyesore relationship of yours…" she said, a contemptuous smile placed upon her lips, her marbled features remaining unaltered.

"Maryse, I will have to _deny_ doing such a thing because if you knew your son half as much as you boast of doing you would know―" he said, stepping to the front, forgetting about etiquette, forgetting about playing nice, only able to feel his blood boil with a numbing rage.

"Watch your tone, warlock" the woman cut him coldly, not batting an eyelash at his sudden outburst. "I opened you the doors of my house and welcomed you here merely because I thought you would understand something as simple as what I am asking from you, but seeing as you aren't, I―"

"Oh, so you _welcomed_ me here! Now that you mention it, I was starting to feel like you wanted to kill me and hide my body! Not that, you know, you _would_ do that. Funny, I don't think that matches the definition of 'welcoming'" Magnus mocked, letting go of a lopsided smirk.

"Magnus Bane, I forbid you of talking to me in such a disrespectful way" Maryse breath out, finally allowing rage taint her expression. "I wanted to do this the good way, but of course what would you, warlock, understand of a mother's love!"

The words, said too bluntly, almost spat at him, hit him too closely because, to be honest, Maryse was right. He could deal with the despise with which shadowhunters pronounced the name of his male parent, he could handle the way he was looked at by those so-called saviors, but he couldn't understand how he was supposed to react or even feel whenever the woman that had brought him to the world was mentioned.

To put it simply, Maryse had the reason. However, it was also true that it was terribly dirty to pull out such a card in a face-to-face discussion, and while he liked being a gentleman, that game could use two players.

"You're right, Maryse" he spat back with a crooked grin. "What would I know? Although, let me ask you something" he continued, a mischievous, almost cruel gleam in his eyes. "What would you know too? What does your son know either? Because if you love Alexander like you say you do, then answer me, Maryse, why is it that your son's eyes looked so empty when I first met him? Why is it that he was so eager to love someone who didn't judge him? Why is it that―?"

"Magnus" Alec's voice cut him to his left, the slight tremor in the boy's voice enough to stop the warlock right on his tracks. The black jacket he held in his right hand slipping through his fingers to the floor.

However, before the son of Asmodeus could turn around to assure Alexander that everything was fine, Maryse's features lit up.

"Alexander, your timing is perfect" the woman contended, gesturing to reach for the boy's wrist as if to pull him on her side not only in the discussion, but physically too. "Tell Magnus Bane here how you know as well as I do that the best for you is to give an end to this eyesore relationship".

"Excuse me?" Alec breath out, brow creased.

"I know you understand my concerns, Alexander" she continued, uncaring about his son's obvious discomfort. "Once this… caprice of yours has burn out… your reputation, son, think about it…" she said, stretching her long fingers so they curled around the boy's wrist.

"Don't touch him" Magnus snapped, startling them both and, ultimately, stopping Maryse from actually reaching Alec. "Let him decide on his own".

"Oh, and what is there to decide, warlock, when―"

"Enough, mother" Alec let out, allowing a fierce fire to shine in his eyes that Magnus had only seen in his sky-blue orbs when he was fighting. And, to be honest, this was a fight, of only not against a demon, but against someone that should have supported him no matter what. Not that Magnus would know about it anyways.

"Excuse me, Alexander?" Maryse managed sternly, eyes piercing and lips pressed together into a thin line.

"I said enough, mother. I know you have trouble understanding, but I didn't think the same could be said for your hearing" Alec replied, with a firmer voice straightening his back so he stood higher.

"What have you said?" Maryse spat with a blazing fury throbbing in her eyes and voice before she turned to Magnus rapidly, making her dark locks oh-so similar to Alec's fly around her. "It's your fault, Bane! Don't you see how you perverted my child into―"

"Oh, by the Angel, stop it already!" Isabelle cut her mother, startling the three arguing adults as she appeared in the stairs, wearing a black dress and a knee-high boots, only half of her hair curled up, while the other hung lazily in its straight form, the curling iron still in her right hand. "Shut up! I can't believe you're saying such a thing, mother! My brother is happy, don't you see that?" she concluded, placing herself in front of Alec, physically wanting to shield him from their mother's venomous words.

"You too, Isabelle? You too?" the older Lightwood exclaimed with an exaggerated pained expression.

"Mother, I only slept for four hours, don't expect much from me right now, especially not if it's withholding!" the girl replied, staring right into her mother's eyes. "Let's be honest, the only reason why dating a downworlder would be a problem is if it were a mermaid. I mean, that stinks, seriously, but since Magnus is a warlock I don't see where your issue is! Now, with that established you can all stop arguing and I can actually get some peace in my own house, thank you very much!" she blurted out, gesturing madly with her hands before placing them on her hips as she turned on her heels to leave, giving Maryse her back. "By the way, Magnus, that's a nice jacket" she offered with a breath-taking smile that Magnus corresponded with a playful courtesy.

And with that, she was gone, the rattling of her shoes lost in the ancient church.

For a moment, Maryse's expression became the one of a person who had just been slapped. In a way, she had been, with words instead of the back of a hand, but slapped nevertheless. Her already pale skin had gone paler, her eyes wide in astonishment.

"Mother, I―" Alec tried in a gentler voice, attempting to take the woman's hand in a sign of support.

The boy's action, though, didn't stop the crease in Maryse's forehead, even when it was quite successful at bringing her back to real life, which wasn't such a wise thing to do, as it only brought a blazing wrath back to her eyes.

"Get out of here!" she cut him furiously. "Get out of here you too!"

"Fine by me" Alec nodded with an icy voice, letting his lax arm fall to his side before tugging gently at Magnus' hand. "Let's go".

"Alexander…" the warlock let out, his tone shy from shaky.

"Let's go. Please" the young boy repeated, already heading to the door.

Noticing the gritted teeth of his boyfriend and Maryse's marble-cold features, the warlock had no other option that to nod and follow the shadowhunter out of the place, craving to get as far away from that crushing atmosphere as possible.

"I… I can't believe it" Alec managed just as they turned the first corner. "I… she shouldn't have, Magnus, I'm so sorry" he muttered, stopping on his tracks and turning around so he faced the aftermentioned.

"It's fine, Alec, don't worry" Magnus replied simply, shrugging with a bitter grin.

"No, it's not 'fine', Magnus!" the boy refuted, shaking his head repeatedly to mark his point. "She had no right to say that, it was not her place and it's simply not fair that she did it!"

"Alexander, c'mon―"

"No, I mean it. It's bothering you, Magnus, I can see that!" the shadowhunter cut him off. "Don't lie to me! The point of the matter is that you're a wonderful person and she had no right to say what she said to you!" Alec continued, a fierce gleam to his eyes, the craving need to protect, to protect _him_ present in his orbs that managed a smile to form in Magnus' lips.

There was something ferocious in Alec's features, in the way he held his jaw, in how his eyes pierced through him and in the way he seemed so collected and so firm in his words. And that, only seeing Alexander so ready to go against his very own mother for _him_ , someone that the shadowhunters considered nothing more but riffraff was enough to soften the warlock's eyes.

"Alexander, I understand your reaction, but really, it's no big deal" he promised, leaning down to press a kiss to the boy's lips. Not a passionate or even a lingering one, but rather only the firm pressure of both their mouths against each other in the seal of a promise. "Plus, what do you know, I could actually be a terrible person" he added, a mischievous grin back to his features.

"A terrible person, huh?" Alec muttered against the corner of Magnus' lips with a shy smile as he leaned on the warlock's left shoulder, drawing an arm around his waist. "Don't tell me. And what do you do?"

"Oh, as a demon's spawn I could steal your soul, Or those sapphires you have for eyes" he suggested, tickling Alec's right side before he, too, circled the boy's shoulders and brought the boy closer to him.

"Idiot" the shadowhunter nodded playfully with a roll of his eyes. "What would your eyes be then? Emeralds?"

"I'm pretty sure my eyes have yellow in them too and emeralds are only green" Magnus replied in a fond voice, allowing himself to believe in that innocent boy's words and rest his left cheek on the top of Alec's head.

"You just ruined it" the younger of them argued, holding back laughter.

"Alexander, honey, you need to read more poetry" the warlock offered, apparently, not having any issued with mocking his boyfriend.

"I read poetry!" Alec claimed with faked angriness. "The fact that Poe or Wilde are not ones to describe their character's eyes is not my fault!"

"You are wrong there, you see. Wilde was a romantic" Magnus argued with a serious expression that soon enough cracked under the mischievous gleam of his eyes.

"Oh, and you would know that, wouldn't you?" the Lightwood inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course, darling, it's called reading!" Magnus continued. "Ever heard of 'The Nightingale and the Rose'?"

"The bird dies in the end! For nothing!" Alec refuted, pretending he thought it was a big deal, even when he couldn't have cared less about the death of a fictional bird.

Still, a voice that he'd willed away, buried deep under loads of busy work wouldn't have it at the moment, and so it decided to whisper in his ear that, perhaps, only perhaps, the reason behind why any of Oscar Wilde's love stories ended well was that _his_ own love story never had the chance of a _lived happily ever after_ , instead being sent to prison for two long years, his reputation finished and repudiated by his own family after being found guilty of sodomy*.

Pursing his lips at the afterthought, chest tight as he leaned a little closer to Magnus, savoring how he had been born in a century in which he _could_ do that and such an action wouldn't be received with a death sentence.

Most of times, anyways, which only brought back his mother's words and the reason they were out there when it had started to drizzle.

"She's gonna hear me" he let out suddenly, not a true menace, but more of a vow, of a pledge.

"Alexander, you don't have to do it―" the warlock started, only to be cut off by his boyfriend.

"No, but I want to" the Lightwood replied, adamant. "Because if she doesn't want to see you, then she's not gonna see me either" he concluded, resolutely taking Magnus' left hand in his right, turning on his heels.

"Alexander, let it be, at least for now" Magnus offered. "You can spend the night in my loft, talk to her once things have cooled down".

"I would go right now, you know?" Alec replied, death-serious. Magnus could only smile at him. "Besides, don't try to take advantage of this situation by using it to take me to your house" Alec joked with a lazy smile.

"I know you would" the warlock replied instead. "But it's not wise, alright? Let matters cool down a little".

Hesitantly, Alexander nodded before leaning to rest his head on Magnus once more. Said and done, they headed to the warlock's apartment.

–*–*–

It wasn't until a week or two later, when they were sitting at the table for breakfast that Alec brought the matter up again.

"I'm going back to the Institute" ha announced, putting down his fork.

"Alexander…"

"No, I'm serious, Magnus. I don't have anything against staying here for as long as this Cold War lasts, but that's not how I like to do things. You told me to let things cool down and I put the matter down, but she has yet to hear my opinion on the matter".

Unable to resist Alec's sweet decision, the defensive indignation in _his_ behalf, perhaps not even wanting to stop the shadowhunter, Magnus let him do.

"Alec, you… you don't have to do this" he tried one last time.

"I know. But she shouldn't have said those things and yet she didn't second-thought them" the shadowhunter pointed out. "Besides, wearing your clothes is alright, but I don't see me wearing a sweater that reads 'C'mon, baby, I know you want to call me' for the rest of my life" he pointed out sensing his boyfriend's hesitance despite how his last statement had pulled a tired smile to the warlock's lips, Alec took Magnus' hands in his on top of the table and gave them a tiny squeeze. "Magnus, listen, the last weeks have been nothing other than amazing and I'd love to spend every day I have left like this. Just you and me. And I'm willing to let her know that".

Biting the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from mentioning that he had plenty of sweaters in his apartment that didn't have such a thing printed on the front of them or that he could plainly conjure Alec's own right then and there or even that they could ask Isabelle ―who also refused to speak to Maryse until further notice for what he understood of the family drama― to bring whatever Alec wanted from the Institute to the apartment, Magnus decided upon letting his boyfriend do as he pleased, perhaps with the egoistic ulterior motive of rejoicing with that ferocious need to protect ―to protect _him_ , no less surprising, a worthless downworlder in the eyes of his parents― that gleamed in the boy's sapphires eyes.

Sincerely, though, he only hoped against hope that there weren't any reprisals from Maryse to Alexander for what he was doing.

"Let's do this" Alexander proposed. "We go back, I get my luggage done and if she's not there we don't argue anymore and let this down, but if she is, she's gonna hear me and that's that".

"Alexander…"

"Last offer. Give or take" he murmured with a smile.

Sighing, Magnus gave in, because, really, there was not a chance that he didn't surrender to whatever Alexander wanted.

When shortly after they were entering the building the warlock was glad to find the ground floor of the church empty. For what Alexander knew, Jace and Isabelle were out on a mission and, hopefully, Maryse wouldn't be there. Good, he thought, as he followed the shadowhunter upstairs, at least they could leave then, no issues needed.

It wasn't until a good quarter of an hour later, when they were still in Alec's room, a small suitcase laying open on top of the boy's bed that the footfalls of someone walking towards the room they occupied while wearing high-heels were heard. _Let it be Isabelle, let it be Isabelle, please_ , Magnus mentally prayed, to no god, and to no use either, he dwelled on as he heard the woman speak.

"Alexander. Magnus Bane" Maryse greeted them sternly, her voice not as filled with despise as before, but not welcoming either.

"We were already leaving" the woman's son replied, his tone so cold, so nonchalant, that it surprised not only Maryse, but Magnus as well. The female shadowhunter's lips pressed into a thin line that she noticed the indifference with which she was treated; she took a step forward.

"No-no, Alexander, please… please stay" she asked, finally catching up with the couple. Only then did Magnus notice that the wrinkled around her eyes had deepened and she didn't seem to have been sleeping enough, for what the bags in her face told. "I… Last time I talked to you my words were heedless and I shouldn't have spoken" she continued, closing her eyes with heaviness, almost as if she couldn't stand her son's sight, as if the words were being stripped from her.

"Glad you noticed" Alec snapped with the same inflection he had before.

"Alexander…" the woman nearly pleaded, allowing her oh-so stoic features contort with the pain of an imaginary slap.

"Alec…" Magnus seconded her, unable to bear the way in which the shadowhunter was speaking to someone who, he know, he held so dear to his heart for any longer, despite the way in which Maryse had treated him barely a couple of weeks in the past.

"No, Bane, I deserve it" Maryse replied quietly, turning her eyes to the ground in a defeated expression that the warlock saw for the first time in any shadowhunter, much less Maryse Lightwood.

"Precisely" Alec spat back.

"I… I had an argument with Jace, too" Maryse continued, her expression growing more tired by the minute. "And he sort of… he made me realize I shouldn't have spoken about things I didn't understand".

"It was about time you did" Alec repeated, so nonchalant that even Magnus had to note that saying such a thing wasn't something he'd imagined himself doing, much less to his mother.

Truthfully, Magnus couldn't claim that he had a saying in how Alexander was treating Maryse because, quite honestly, the woman had been certain when she'd said he knew nothing about a mother and son relationship, and thus he had no right to speak on that department.

However, Magnus knew Alec, and he understood the boy's actions well enough to say that no matter how the Lightwood's blood boiled at the woman's words, that was still someone he valued dearly, and once things had calmed down, once the pouring rain had washed away the anger, he would regret each and every one of his words.

Furthermore, the anguish in the woman's features seemed genuine, the way in which she chewed on her lower lip in nervousness, how she resignedly closed her eyes―it was all sincere, and Magnus, hurt as he was by her previous actions, was not resentful enough to ignore how she was trying to make amends.

"Alexander, at least listen to her" he managed, but the boy shook his head adamantly. The Lightwood matriarch, on her side allowed the ghost of a smile to trace her features.

"Let him, Magnus, I deserve it" she murmured, the pain in her voice too much to be covered by the fact that she had stopped her lips from trembling as she spoke. "I understand, Alexander, I do. I wasn't there when you needed me in the past and now I'm failing you once more" she accepted in a low voice before she turned to Magnus with a slight grimace that, for once, wasn't caused by the warlock's presence but rather by her own actions. "I'm sorry" she offered, reaching in a slow motion for Magnus' wrists, giving him enough time to step back if he was disgusted by her. He let her do. "If I could, I would erase my words from you memory. I would, I promise you".

"You're being honest" Alec breath out suddenly in a confused tone before the warlock could reply anything.

"Excuse me?" Maryse whispered, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"That thing you do with your hair when you lie―you play with it" Alexander replied in something akin to astonishment as he pointed to her steady hands with a gesture of his head. "You are not doing it. You are not _lying_ ".

"I haven't deceived you since the last time I talked to you" the woman offered. "Although on that occasion I did speak some lies that I considered to be certain".

"And what made you change your mind then?" Alec inquired again, wanting to hear something more than his brother's words to explain Maryse's sudden empathy.

"Jace struck a chord when we… when we talked" Maryse explained. "And he opened my eyes to see that while you two didn't have a saying in what I was so offended by, like your failed parentage" she said, pointing ever so slightly to Magnus with the side of her head before she continued. "Or your… preference, I was willingly choosing to be an ass to you. He also said that it was sad that I had been such a wonderful figure in his life when I was failing miserably when it came to supporting you like I should have".

And just like that, with a pained expression and genuine regret marring her features, she opened her arms for her eldest son, not daring to step closer to him for the fear of a rejection.

With a smile, Magnus watched in fascination as his boyfriend lose that wary attitude, a smile he probably was unaware that had climbed to his mouth adorning his lips. In enthrallment, he watched as Alec eyed his mother calculatingly one last time before deciding it was safe to trust her and melt into her embrace.

They remained like that for a minute, both Lightwoods savoring that moment's calmness before they broke apart. As they did, Maryse turned to Magnus, her eyes gleaming with something akin to hope, opening her arms for him as well. This time, though, she didn't wait for his assent before stepping closer and engulfing him in her arms.

"I guess this is the overdue moment, let it be said, in which I welcome you to the family" she let out, wrapping her arms ―not hesitant, not disgusted anymore, but firm― around the warlock's waist. Unable to do anything else, Magnus imitated the gesture, under the relieved and very thankful eyes of Alec.

Before they broke apart, however, the women's right hand reached for his head, making Magnus lean over a little closer so she could speak into his ear.

"Magnus, I… I know you never had a mother figure" she started, her voice just shy of a whisper. "And I already apologized for what I said before, but I… if you'd have me, if you have the heart to accept me, I… I would like to let you know what a mother's love is like" she offered, and as she said that, she stood on her tip-toes, pressing a soft kiss to the warlock's forehead as if it were nothing ―not a big deal, not something that she should consider repulsive―, dedicating him a sincere smile.

"Mother, I―"Alexander tried, although Maryse merely shook her head softly.

"Don't say anything. It's alright" she assured, taking Magnus' left hand and Alec's right in hers for a moment before she directed the warlock's hand to her son's. "I'm proud of you. Of both of you. You don't know how much".

Nodding in understandment and deciding to put the matter down, Alec smiled as well, a gleam so kind in his sapphire eyes that Magnus felt his knees go weak.

Because, in the end, he might not have understood a lot of things, though he was certain of only one ―a mother's love could tremble, could make mistakes, but it could never be broken. And, complex as they were, Maryse loved her son, and the mere perspective of him forgetting and forgiving what the woman had done, for his own good, even, the opportunity of sharing a life with Alexander was enough to make Magnus want to embrace that complex and often odd life that included an actual family.

* * *

 **Well, how did that go? I just... I couldn't help myself, forgive me. These two just deserve to be loved and allowed to love, as for the asterisk, well, I love Oscar Wilde, I admire him as a poet hugely, but I'm also deeply touched by his life and how it was ruined. I've always thought that it was that very same impotence what motivated him to write such** **beautiful yet so heart-wrenching stories. Either way, he was a wonderful writer.**

 **Okay, back t o the story, this will be a series of one-shots that will have nothing to do with one another and that mostly go doing a ping pong in time. If they get married in one of these, don't expect them to be in the next one. Same goes for the children. If Raphael and Max appear in one they might not be present in the next one.**

 **To close it here, I really hope you liked it and please let me know in the comments if it was so!**

 **Read you soon!**


	2. The Chances of Being Lucky

**Here we are again! For the second day of Malec Week! I'm just jumping up and down at this point because I'm so excited!**

 **Okay, to the story, this is just a little something that does include Max because that little blueberry is the cutest thing.**

 **Now, I have to be honest, every since City of Bone I've always been very curious about Magnus' past, and I seriously yearn to learn more about it. I read the Magnus Bane Chronicles in hopes that at least one of the stories included him as a child. I'm still waiting for the upcoming series, but until then I guess we fans have to make up for the missing scened with what we have.**

 **PD: I also love Catarina so you will definitely be seeing more of her in this story!**

* * *

 ** _Sunday-Int the Future Day  
The Chances of Being Lucky_**

* * *

If there was one thing Alexander Lightwood had learned after all that time living with Magnus, that was that whenever that warlock said that he 'Had a surprise' something would undoubtedly end up on fire. Or flood. Or both.

Quite honestly, Alexander couldn't have loved the warlock more than he did, but that didn't mean that his fondness towards the green-eyed downworlder made him blind to how potentially dangerous his 'surprises' could be, which explained why that Christmas, when Magnus uttered the words 'I have surprise for you' the Lightwood felt his smile freeze on his lips, although he didn't have the heart to duck under the dining room's table in fear when he saw the innocent excitement that shone in the warlock's orbs.

By the Angel, he could only hope his shadowhunter speed enabled him to hide under the furniture when something went wrong.

A silent prayer to the Angel and to every divine being Alec had ever heard of later Alec allowed Magnus to blindfold him and direct him towards the outside of the apartment complex.

"Are you ready?" Magnus nearly sing-sang next to him, unable to keep the excitement from his voice.

"I hope so" the boy muttered, letting his voice trail off.

Undoing the knot of the cloth that unabled Alec of seeing, Magnus smiled beamingly at his boyfriend. Flabbergasted-ly taking in the sight on front of him, the shadowhunter almost stepped back.

"Magnus, why…? What in the world…?" he managed, his astonished expression traveling from Magnus and to the kind of… sleigh-something that was parked in front of the building. Chained to it stood seven animals that Alec identified as reindeers.

"You have to be kidding me" the shadowhunter let out, fully turning to Magnus now.

"You bet I'm not!" the warlock sing-sang, suddenly wearing a red suit with a large fake belly and white bear that Alec could have laughed at, if not for the fact that he was holding a reindeer costume in his right hand, with everything and the diadem imitation of antlers and a clown-like red nose.

"I don't believe you" the blue-eyed boy breath out, finally noticing that, up from the sleigh, Catarina dressed up ― _of course_ ― with a green vest, green trousers and black boots that matched a black belt and a crooked hat, supporting Max ―who, by the way, wore a suit corresponding to that of the female warlock's― on her hip while she held the toddler's tiny right hand in hers, waving down at his parents and smiling.

"Magnus Bane, what do you insinuate by this?" Alec asked, not fully believing his eyes when he saw the reindeer _move_. "By the Angel, are those _real_?"

Instead of answering, the warlock merely pointed behind Alec, who turned around to see his not-as-serious parents, Maryse wearing black boots to complement a red dress that imitated the style of the one Magnus wore and a white wig, crystal-less glasses on top of her nose.

Sometimes, Alec seriously asked himself how good was it that Magnus and his mother had made amends and united their mischievous minds.

Next to Maryse, Robert stood smiling as he wore a suit of a darker shade of brown but the same design as the one Magnus had just offered Alexander. He even had the felt horns and a plastic black nose.

"I can't believe you! You saved me _Rudolph_? " Alec asked aloud to no one in particular, not fully able to keep his blooming smile off his lips.

"Don't look at me" Robert hurried to answer, heading right to the sleigh and jumping in expertly to greet Catarina and Max. Once he was on top of the artic item, Robert continued. "This was your husband's idea".

Features softening, Alec's smile enlarged warmly. Magnus and he weren't married ―the Clave had yet to authorize such a thing, though they were waiting― but ever since they had taken Max in, his whole family had started referring to them as a married couple, and for that he was more than thankful.

Once, actually, Magnus had suggested that they sent traditions ―both from downworlders and shadowhunters― flying and they united in matrimony according to the mundane costums. They were already going against the rules, so why not do it completely? Magnus had even offered to have the marriage runes tattooed to them mundane style because, in his words, Alec deserved it, but he had refused.

The Clave would have to approve, and when it did, they would become the first couple of both two males and a downworlder and a shadowhunter to marry, he'd made up his mind.

"It's a wonderful idea, sweetheart" Maryse praised, offering her right cheek for Magnus to kiss before she engulfed both Alec and Magnus in a hug.

"I'm not so sure about that" Alec muttered, letting his mother do when she decided to ruffle his hair before she, too, boarded the sleigh. "I'm going to regret this, but go ahead" the shadowhunter conceded, shrugging. With a mischievous grin, Magnus snapped his fingers, instantly changing the clothes Alec wore into the European mammal's costume.

"You'll love it, Alexander, I'm sure!" Magnus blurted out excitedly, almost dragging the boy to the sledge as he helped him jump in.

Glancing at the back part of the cart, Alec noted that the red-and-green sack attached to the place actually held presents wrapped in colorful covers.

"I still don't know what 'it' means" the blue-eyed shadowhunter offered, seeing from his peripheral view how his father took the reins of the sleigh and "ohhed" the animals. "Don't tell me―Magnus don't tell me this thing _flies_!"

"Yes it does!" Magnus beamed, placing his hand on Alec's shoulders when the boy yelped as the cart started moving.

"What is this supposed to mean?" Alec inquired again after clearing his throat in a dignified manner.

"Well, you see, Alec… you know how this whole mundane festivity is about generosity and giving to others?" the warlock started, pausing for a bit until Alec nodded with a raised eyebrow. "Well, tonight we'll be visiting some orphanages, giving presents to children, I… I don't know, just… mundane Christmas, Alec, that's it".

Feeling his features relax a little at the innocent warmness of the warlock's words despite how he still didn't understand what was going on, Alec pursed his lips in confusion.

Of course that, one way or another, Alexander and every other shadowhunter ended up knowing more or less what mundane celebrations consisted in, just as much as downworlders were forced to learn about the festivities of common folk plainly because they coexisted with normal humans. However, neither one nor the others liked to get involved in whatever it was that mundanes were breaking the bank with.

Such a behavior was explained because, first of all, the shadowhunters did not care about others enough to learn more of their costums than they needed to and, also, they were way too proud to share the mundanes' happiness.

On the other side, and speaking specifically about downworlders, Alec had always suspected that their indifference towards the mundane celebrations had religious roots, because, to be honest, things might have gotten a little awkward when you were related to Biblical demons.

"Thought you didn't celebrate Christmas?" Alec wondered plainly because he had been living with Magnus for almost three years and never before had the warlock given any indication of marking the day even, much less of honoring it.

"I don't" Magnus nodded in a shrug as he circled the shadowhunter's shoulders. "But I… this is how I met Catarina and Ragnor. They… they kind of found me. Not in Christmas, but it was New Year's Day and they used to do this a lot back then. Personally, I've always thought Catarina dragged Ragnor with her to give presents to the children in the streets, but after that I decided I was in debt with them, so they pulled me to do this with them a few years later" he explained. "Catarina and I stopped doing it after Ragnor's death".

"So this… this was your idea" Alec stated more than asked, taking Magnus' right hand ―the one that hung lazily from his shoulder― in his own and delivering it a tiny squeeze.

"It doesn't seem fair that this tradition dies with him" Magnus limited to answer. "Besides, this means a lot to Catarina. I reckon she feels she's giving back what she received or something of the kind. You know how that mind of hers works".

Nodding in recognition, Alec simply leaned closer to rest his head on Magnus' shoulder.

"So I understand you intent of dragging my whole family into this project? Because I don't see any of my siblings" the Lightwood offered.

"They're already there" Magnus pointed out. "We're supposed to meet them at the orphanage".

"Well, that's when everything crashes and burns because if you expect Jace and Izzy to behave only because there are children around them, you're wrong!" Alec refuted, holding back laughter.

"I hope that the vampire and the red-head biscuit are enough to stop those two from corrupting innocent children" Magnus nodded, bursting into laughter.

"You really did bring the whole family" the shadowhunter praised with amusement.

Shaking his head in disproval but still smirking, Alec allowed himself to relax, his eyes focused on Max and his delighted shrieks, who squeaked in Maryse's arms while Catarina tickled him. Robert, giving the women his back, seemed to enjoy being the one in charge of leading the huge animals, when barely three years in the past he would have been steadfastly refused to use any magical item that wasn't shadowhunter-related.

This was his family, he sighed contently. It had taken him time to find it, but, in the end, they had managed to work things out and make them work.

"I want to teach him that" Magnus let out after a moment of silence in a low voice.

"Hm?" the blue-eyed boy inquired with a questioning eyebrow.

"To Max, I mean" the warlock added. "He was… he was lucky. I want him to know that, to cherish it and to let him know that others… that others weren't born under the same star" he continued, shifting his gaze from the toddler and to the floor.

Feeling his brow crease in worry, Alec turned over his shoulder to look at the warlock directly. With a knowing smile, the shadowhunter tightened his hold around Magnus' waist, a hold that he hadn't noticed flying to the warlock's body. It just felt right, comfortable, like an extension of himself.

"He will know" Alec promised, staring right into Magnus' exotic orbs. "And he will learn to appreciate it. Just like I… just like I'm grateful that I was lucky enough to find you".

At his words, Magnus smirked―not with contempt or sarcasm, not with taunt, rather with fondness, with affect, a look of pure adoration in his eyes.

" _You_ were lucky?" Magnus muttered with sparkling eyes. "Then what was I?"

"Stop flattering me" Alec replied, although he didn't complain when the warlock didn't answer and merely leaned down to press a soft kiss ―that he didn't hesitate to return either― to his lips because, quite honestly, what were the chances, what were the chances of meeting someone as wonderful, as amazing? The chances of falling in love with someone like that and then being corresponded?

Quite honestly, what were the chances of being so lucky?

And so he smiled, because no matter the numbers, no matter the odds, he _had_ been and, if he'd have to lose everything else just to have one more second with Magnus, Alec wouldn't have hesitated to accept.

* * *

 **How did you like that? C'mon, you have to admit that the Lightwood family all dressed up in Christmas-y things is just too much for your heart!**

 **I'll read you tomorrow! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Hero Complex

**Hello beautiful people out there! First of all, I want to apologize for my late update. You'll see, today I started school (right in the Malec Week, I know, such is my luck), so I'll probably be posting my participations late, but I promise you that you'll have your rightful one-shot!**

 **Now, speaking specifically about this story, I want to tell you that the idea is a bit sad and darker than others instead of being just happiness and love. The reason behind it is that, point number one, the idea isn't mine, but a friends. Point number two, I really suck at AU's. If I've written two or three of those in the years I've been into fanfiction, that's a lot, so I was at a point in which whatever it came sounded good, and this one was indeed a good idea.**

 **I just don't like AU's, I appreciate that there's a huge amount of originality put into them, so that things make sense and the pieces fall into the right place, but, quite personally... I feel that if there are no angels or demons or shadowhunters in a story that revolves around _exactly_ that... then they're not really the same characters, okay? It's just something stupid in case you wanted to know.**

 **Anyways, enough of my rambling! I need to get to my bed before I pass-out of sleep-deprivation!**

* * *

 ** _Monday-AU Settings Day_**

 ** _Hero Complex_**

* * *

To be quite honest, Magnus hated hospitals, hated the sick sensation of waiting that hung in the air, hated the way silences extended until they become unbearable, hated how uttering a word in there, even breathing felt wrong, as if he was using someone else's air, someone else's _life-time_.

However, even less did he like the idea of Catarina returning home from her late-shift through the empty and very dangerous streets of New York City on her own.

Seriously, the woman was like an older sister to him, the caring, wiser figure that was willing to look after him and fix his messes, help him keep his things together. She was the closest to family Magnus Bane had ever known, and the thought of losing her, of ever seeing her hurt, terrified him―not that he'd ever told her so, although she probably had figured that out on her own, smart as the nurse was.

It wasn't that he thought Catarina Loss couldn't take care of herself. Of course she could. It was merely that he felt better knowing where she was, knowing she was safe. Most of times, Catarina simply let him do, not having the heart ―or willing to― tell Magnus she didn't need him to walk her home every night. Besides, they could always drop by at a restaurant for dinner, which basically explained what Magnus Bane was doing sitting at the waiting room of a cold, god-forgotten hospital.

Because, of course Catarina Loss would stay to work overtime. Of course she would. That was almost as doubting that gray clouds predicted rain. That was, to put it simply, her essence, give more that she was asked to, give in to the needs of others until she forgot her own.

To be honest, Magnus didn't really care about the time he lost waiting in that hospital, but rather about his friend's health. If Catarina continued overworking herself as she did chances were that soon enough he wouldn't stand in that hospital as merely an escort.

With a muffled grunt, Magnus brought himself to his feet and rubbing his eyes he head to the restroom.

Knowing Catarina, there probably had been an accident during her shift at the Emergency Room and that was what kept her from leaving at the time her contract stipulated.

Tired as he was, it took Magnus way longer than it should have to notice that the people blocking his way to the restrooms were arguing, their teeth gritted a little too tightly in sake of keeping the composure.

"It was your fault! Your fault!" a tall woman with long raven hair accused, pointing straight to a man with a stoic expression. "My son is bleeding to death and you―"

"Our son, Maryse" the aftermentioned cut her coldly. "Our son".

"Our son you dare say?" the woman, now identified as Maryse replied. "If Max dies in this goddamn place it will be your fault that―"

"Mom, please" the third person, a tall blue-eyed boy that seemed around seventeen years old spoke in a low voice, placing himself between the arguing people, only to be brushed off.

"You left him to die!" Maryse continued condemning. "Speaking with that petty bitch of yours was more important than―"

"Stop it, Maryse. I don't want to talk about it" he muttered, raising a hand that was meant to be a peace offering but that only served to fuel the woman's wrath.

"You don't want to talk about it? You son of a bitch! You killer, you―you answered the phone and let my son die because of that whore of yours!"

"Maryse, this is not the place. Stop overreacting" the man muttered, closing his eyes stoically.

"Overreacting, Robert? My son is dying because of you and you are saying that I―"

"Listen to me, woman" Robert cut her in a voice dangerously low. "I will not tolerate you speaking to me in this tone. I would have never put Max in danger on purpose. Now shut up and focus on what is important!"

"You would have never put him danger! As if! You piece of shit!"

"Mother, please―" the young boy tried once more.

"Shut up, Alexander" the woman barked before turning to the man in front of her again. "You let him die! You left him to die!"

"Enough!" Robert spat. "Either you get your shit together or you keep yourself from directing to me" he announced, turning on his heels and heading towards an emergency exit.

"You're leaving!" the woman managed with a shaky voice. "Go ahead, Robert, get out of here like the stupid coward you are! You son of a bitch!"

"Mother…" Alexander pleaded, attempting to circle Maryse's shoulders only to be pushed away by the hysteric woman.

"Don't touch me!" she barked. "Go and follow your father if that's what you want! Go get yourself a whore just like he did for all I care! I don't care! I don't give a damn about any of you!" she decided, bringing more eyes to them that Alexander seemed comfortable with before she, too, turned around, walking in long strides to a door that Magnus was pretty sure headed to the outside of the hospital, pushing the misfortunate friend of Catarina out of her way in the process, almost making him trip and not seeming to notice it or care about it.

Magnus chose upon being decent for once and not mention it when he took a note of the stubborn tears that bordered the woman's eyes.

He didn't remember having singed-in for the family drama because, quite honestly, he had enough of that on his own. However, he couldn't deny the vague pity that flooded him now that he only had the boy's shaky figure to focus on.

"Excuse me, sir" Magnus offered, stepping a bit closer. "Can I help you with―"

"I'm sorry" Alexander blurted out, trying to jerk away from the hand Magnus had stretched towards him and that was not yet touching him. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry for this scene it… it shouldn't have happened".

"None of this should have happened" Magnus agreed gently, too touched by the way the young lad in front of him tried so desperately to keep his own tears from falling, even when he was just shy of openly crying now. "Were they talking about your brother?"

"What?" the boy inquired, raising his stunning sapphire eyes for a second before gluing them to the floor again. "Max? Yes, yes, he… he is my baby brother, he… He… an accident…"

However, Alexander's voice trailed off and Magnus decided not to pressure him.

"I'm very sorry" Catarina's friend murmured genuinely unable to think of anything else to say.

"I… he's so young. He's just ten years old, you know? He… he's just a kid. This… he can't die" Alexander choked out, finally allowing violent sobs to climb his throat. "He can't die".

"Hey" Magnus started, letting muscle memory take control of his body as he awkwardly circled the boy's lean figure. Shaken as he was, Alexander didn't seem to mind it. "A friend of mine is in charge of the surgery, your brother will be fine" he reassured, although he didn't know if Catarina really was the one taking care of the boy's sibling.

"He… he's too young" Alexander repeated, taking in the simple comfort of having warm arms around him because he felt too numb to even push Magnus away. "I… I know it was an accident, but… it was my father's fault, I know that much. He… he answered the phone and parked at the side of the road but forgot to turn the lights on and a… there was a drunken man and he crashed and all the impact… Max…" he sobbed, not even trying to mask the fact that he was trembling.

With a grimace, Magnus merely nodded, knowing all too well that there was nothing he could say to ease the suffering from Alexander's expression. After a shaky intake of breath, Magnus surprisedly noted that Alexander intended to continue speaking.

"He… he was talking with his lover, you know?" the younger boy said, too relieved with the fact that for once someone ―a complete stranger rather than his own parents, let it be said― was actually taking the time to stop whatever he was doing and just listen to him. "We didn't… we didn't even know he had a lover, he… Sure, he had issues with my mother but I never… He parked and stepped out of the car so Max wouldn't listen, he… he wasn't even paying attention" Alexander stuttered flinching as he hid his face in the crook of Magnus' neck.

"Alexander, I'm… I'm sure he didn't intend to―"

"To kill my brother?" the boy proposed. "Of course he didn't, he―he precisely parked to avoid the risk of a crashing, ain't that ironic? It's just that… It shouldn't have happened. And now I can't contact Jace or Isabelle and they should be here because if anything… if anything happens, I… I―"

"Alright, alright" Magnus cut the younger boy before he started hyperventilating, gently stepping back so he could stare into Alexander's blue orbs. "Don't say that. Nothing will happen, okay? We'll take care of everything" he promised as he started walking, his left arm still protectively placed around Alexander, dragging him along. "But first we're getting you something to eat, sweetheart".

"I… I'm sorry" the blue-eyes man offered, taking a deep breath and blinking as if he'd just realized the situation he was in. "I shouldn't have―I.. I'm so sorry".

"Now, that's alright. It's okay, really, I… I understand" he offered with a shrug as he watched in amazement how taking two deep breaths and blinking repeatedly the boy by his side had managed to get a hold of himself and now seemed fine, with only his red-rimmed eyes to testify his previous breakdown. "I don't have a good relationship with my father either and I never met my mother, so… don't mention it, alright?"

"I… thank you" Alexander managed with a trembling voice. "I don't… I don't know you" he said. "You didn't have to―"

"Magnus Bane" the man cut him. "Catarina Loss is a very good friend of mine and she works here. I'll… I'll go talk with her, Alexander…" he let his words hang in the air, hoping the boy would understand the cue.

"Alexander Lightwood. Just call me... call me Alec" he replied, forcing a tired smile to his lips.

"In that case, Alec, take this and I'll go ask Catrina about your brother, sounds okay?" he proposed, offering the boy a ten-dollar bill and a post-it with his phone number written on it.

"I… thank you" the Lightwood let out, just shy of a whisper. "I don't even know what to say".

"Just don't mention it. And feel free to call me whenever… whenever you need it, Alexander, I'm serious" the older promised, noting that his heart skipped a beat at the way Alexander's eyes widened in wonder and perhaps… could it be hope?

"I will" Alec nodded coyly, even when Magnus had already disappeared into the crowd and could no longer hear him.

Who knew, Magnus decided with a shy smile, perhaps he, too, had the same hero complex he scolded Catarina about, always too ready to jump into a problem that wasn't his to make it his own, even when he knew things were bound to go wrong.

Who knew, perhaps things wouldn't crash and burn this one time.

* * *

 **Okay, this is our end... What do you think about this one?**

 **I promise I have a good excuse for the gloomy atmosphere. You see, we all love sweet, fluffy Malec but the thing is that, for me, at least, the one thing that makes this couple so strong is the fact that they'd both been forced to act brave and take in a nonchalant attitude towards things they actually cared about. What I really like about these guys is that they're strong, all on their own they're strong (even more so together). However, at the same time, they're weak, and they know it, they have flaws they have to hide and pretend they don't have, they have feelings they're not supposed to have and yet... they know that they can let go of the fraçade when they're with the other one, because they can allow themselves to be vulnerable around each other and I just believe that is terribly beautiful, so I wanted to have a bit of that here.**

 **Also, there was the issue with Robert and Maryse shouting at each other... Listen, I do want them to be a happy family and take care of their grandchildren, but as I said, the idea wasn't really mine, so let's just go with this for a while, okay?**

 **And... Max... I loved that boy, okay? He was the first character of this series that I really liked and had to see die so... my poor baby! Anyways, answer in the comments, what do you think will happen to him now and how did you like this little something!**

 **As always, thanks for reading and... read you tomorrow with more Malec!**


	4. Cloth Excursion

**Hello there Malec shippers of the world! You enjoying Malec Week? Because you can bet I am, at least!**

 **Now, as you know, this is Crossover Day (if you're asking, no, I'm not a big fan of these eithe rbut well... Malec), and I think I messed up a little because instead of taking Magnus and Alec and just plopping them in the other fandom I just made the characters speak among the other fandom but... you are awesome people who will ignore that, am I right?**

 **Okay, moving on, the pseudo-crossover I'm talking about is Percy Jackson. Not all the credit goes to me, as last year I saw a headcanon that read that Malec and Solangelo would be awesome going on a double-date and, guys, you know how badly I ship _both_ ships, so I actually thought it was a great idea, but since I didn't find it a plot I dropped it for a while.**

 **When I was organizing Malec Week with the help of a friend we actually thought about a crossover with Lou and Will from "Me Before You", but in the end Solangelo came back, I successfully found a plot for both couples and... this came out! I'm actually very fond of this story, so I really hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

 ** _Tuesday-Crossover Day_**

 ** _Cloth Excursion_**

* * *

To say that Alexander Lightwood hated to go shopping was an understandment. He never had and never would like the activity, not even as a child when his mother took him to the stores and forced him to try on multiple articles before buying only one or two at the end.

He hadn't liked it when Isabelle dragged him to the mall arguing that 'He'd worn that shirt more times than hairs she had on the head and needed to change it' and he especially didn't like it then that he had to force himself to go and buy something when, honestly, he wouldn't have cared less about the state his clothes were in.

However, if there was something that the heir of the Lightwood family hated more than attending stores and/or trying on different items he didn't like, that was, surely, to have Magnus Freaking Bane helping him find 'his new look'.

Sincerely, he loved the warlock with everything he had to call his own, but if he was dragged towards a store one more time he would either go insane or stop shopping with his husband completely—for a day or two, that was, but it was supposed to be enough to make Magnus stop.

"I'm telling you, Alexander! Ten dollars for this is a good price!" the warlock argued, shaking a bright orange shirt in the face of the younger boy.

"I can get two of these for five dollars" Alec replied flatly, pointing to the gray, long-sleeved shirt that hung loosely around his lean frame.

"Yes, but _those_ wouldn't make you look like this one" Magnus practically sing-sang, playfully poking the well-built muscles Alec sure as hell had but his chose of clothes did wonders to cover up.

"That orange screams 'I'm here' from a mile away" the Lightwood argued with something close to despise when he looked at the bright color.

Of course that Alec would loathe the tone of color, used to stand in the shadows and go by unnoticed as he was, Magnus smirked. Although, really, half the population wished to have a body like the shadowhunter did.

"However, sweetheart, you need to stop wearing black" he pointed out, tugging at the boy's sleeve.

"What's wrong with black?" the after mentioned counterattacked.

"I'm having the exact same problem here" a blond boy with blue eyes of about seventeen years piped in from the other end of the hall. The scene he was in, quite honestly, almost mimicked Magnus' own, with him pointing a yellow shirt to a dark-haired boy who stared down at him unamused. "William Solace" the blond boy said, extending his right hand once he had caught up with Magnus and Alec, having dragged the other boy with him.

"William Sociable Solace" the other teen corrected under his breath. Alec smirked, deciding that perhaps it wasn't as bad that they had started talking, although William ignored him.

"Call me Will".

"Alexander Lightwood" the shadowhunter nodded, taking a step forward and shaking Will's hand. "You can call me Alec, though".

"Alexander I-Only-Wear-Black-Lightwood" Magnus said, just to fit in the mood. "And I'm Magnus Bane".

"Well, this is Nico di Angelo" Will introduced, pointing the boy with the side of his head. "My—"

"His boyfriend" the dark-haired teen finished for him, cutting Will in a way that would have sounded harsh if not for how he was gripping the blond's hand, a little too tightly, a little like a safesaver.

Knowing full too well what Nico's nervous glances meant, Alec only smiled, feeling his eyes soften as he nodded.

"This idiot right here is my husband" Alec offered, seeing Nico visibly relax at his words, even when his blond companion didn't let go of his hand. "I understand you're having trouble shopping?"

"Nico doesn't like anything there is to buy here" Will nodded in a shrug.

"You dragged me here, don't throw me the fault now" Nico replied, not even caring to look at the blue-eyed boy.

"Same story here" Alec offered. "Magnus made the decision of throwing out all of my clothes but the ones I'm wearing and is now forcing me to come and buy something more… shiny".

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" Nico inquired, shooting a glance to the older boy's gray clothing.

"Precisely" Alec agreed.

"It's gray!" the son of Apollo complained, seconded by Magnus' nod.

"Oh, who cares?" the dark-haired boy shrugged. "Actually, I kind of like it".

"It has holes in it!" Magnus let out in exasperation.

"You can still wear it!" Alec and Nico replied in unison, which was enough to send both of them laughing, sight at which their respective couples stared at with a raised eyebrow for a moment, seeing their usually formal companions act so care-freely, before joining into the laugh.

"Will still hasn't taken it that far" Nico admitted with a crooked smile once the laughter was over. "Although he's been rather insistent in that I should change my wardrobe".

"Nico, c'mon, look at this!" the aftermentioned urged, tugging at the boy's shirt. "It's old! Regardless of the color you need new clothes!"

"I'll stop wearing black when they invent another color" the son of Hades decided with the voice one would use to point out the sky was blue.

"Point number one, colors aren't invented and point number two, Nico, black isn't a color, it is the absence of color!" Will listed with his fingers.

"I don't care" Nico pointed out, sticking out his tongue for Will to see. The son of Apollo merely sighed.

"I think they wear black to resemble their souls" Magnus gave his opinion. "Mine is sparkling and eye-catching" he offered, batting his eyes coquettishly at his husband. "That's why I dress the way I do".

"It sure shines, then" Alec nodded, rolling his eyes. "I have an idea" he proposed. "How about we go and have lunch together, the four of us? Doesn't seem we're going to buy anything either way, so…"

"Sounds good to me" Nico said, eager to get out of the store and shiny items.

"Sure, why not?" Will seconded, smiling warmly.

"Pizza?" Magnus offered, receiving the son of Apollo's nod but the other's disapproving glances as answer.

"We ate pizza last week" Alec retorted, shaking his head vigorously at the thought. "Sushi".

"Sushi" Nico nodded, as if it had just occurred to him.

"What? Where's the fun in eating something with no cheese!" Will complained.

"Sushi is healthier" Nico and Alec answered almost at the same time.

"What? But the _cheese_!" Will repeated, faking a pout worthy of a three-year-old.

"You can get your cheese when we—"

"Are we going to start arguing about that?" Alec cut Nico off, smiling. "Let's go and have a hamburger and that's it".

Deciding it probably wasn't such a bad idea, they all nodded their agreement and headed to the food aisle of the mall.

Perhaps their cloth excursion hadn't been such a disaster after all, Alec decided with a smirk. However, he still refused to buy anything, so it was more of a social excursion than it was about clothes.

* * *

 **I just love the idea of them as friends, okay? C'mon, they would be adorable and you won't be able to convince me otherwise.**

 **So, please tell me what you think of this little something and... read you tomorrow!**


	5. Dark Pasts and Beaming Eyes

**Hello beautiful people! I'm right back! You having a lot of fun with this one-shots!**

 **Okay, now, guys, you know I love you with my whole heart, but remember when I spoke about Magnus' past and how I was interested in experimenting with it? Well, this is that story. This is also a story in which Catarina appears because I love that girl (I know she's not a girl but let me have this, alright?).**

 **I'm telling you from right now: there's child abuse in this story. I tried to keep it as canon as possible, I'm basing in what I've read somewhere although, to be fair, sometimes I cannot remember if the things are canon or not because my stupid brain mixes them up but let's not think about it, okay? I'm sorry about the feels, I promise the ending will be worth it because, c'mon, it's me you're talking too, I can't live without Hurt/Comfort, you know that.**

 **So, that's it for my notes right now, please read (at your own discretion) and I really hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Wednesday-Back to the Future Day_**

 ** _Dark Pasts and Beaming Orbs_**

* * *

Catarina Loss, as anyone who knew her could confirm, was tremendously good when it came to reading people, and that was why Alexander Lightwood wasn't even surprised when she realized something was wrong as soon as she crossed the door of the apartment.

"Well, now, what's up with that attitude?" she greeted, leaning down to kiss Alec's left cheek as he sat at the table of the kitchen, not having bothered to stand up and open the door for her after answering a hollow 'Come in' when she knocked. She was family after all and she owned an emergency key for when she stayed to babysit the children. On the other side, he was merely too tired to care.

"It's nothing, Cat, really" he mumbled, not raising his head when she took the cup of cold tea placed in front of him, throwing the liquid to the sink and pouring fresh water into the teapot to boil it.

"You could've fooled me" the female warlock sentenced, taking a seat in front of the boy. "What's wrong?" she asked again in a kinder voice,

"I… Magnus and I had an argument last night. That's all" he finally answered with a grimace. "Nothing important".

"If it has you like this then it _is_ important" Catarina offered gently, taking the boy's hand in hers from on top of the table.

"It's… It's dumb, you know? The same old fight of always" Alec finally replied, surrendering to the warm concern that shone in the warlock's eyes.

She had such a motherly aura, the Lightwood thought fondly, always about to take someone else's burden on her shoulders, even when she had problems of her own. However, it was also very easy to trust her with anything, to be honest with who you were around her, which gave her a more the older sister impression. It honestly was impossible not to confide in her, he decided, as she possessed the perfect mixture of motherly and filial fondness.

"You mean―"

"Yes" Alec nodded, interrupting the female warlock. "I asked about his past and… even after all this time it seems he doesn't trust me because he never… he never…"

"Alec, it had nothing to do with you" Catarina cut him off gently, giving a tiny squeeze to the boy's hand. "I… I was lucky. Growing up, I mean. My mother was an extraordinary woman. Magnus, however… he didn't have such blessing".

"I know, Cat, trust me, I know, but I… I wished I knew something more, that I _understood_ " the Lightwood murmured, unable to stand the woman's gaze. "He… sometimes he does or says certain things, he has some reactions, like when he's with the children, for example, and… I know it's all about his past, but I can't help him because I don't understand anything about what he went through and I… I can't do anything. It just makes me feel so powerless".

"Alec…" the woman let out in a soft whisper. "He loves you, what else do you need to know?"

"Precisely because I love him back it hurt me to see him suffering while I can't do anything to ease that pain!" Alec finally exploded, letting frustration overtake him as he gestured widely with his hands. "Catarina, it hurts me to see him like that and he won't allow me to help him after all he's done for me!"

"Maybe he doesn't want you to think of him as broken? Flawed? Has it ever occurred to you?" Catarina proposed, brow creasing in worry.

"I would never do that" Alexander answered rapidly. His voice, however hurried, softened with a throbbing promise.

"I know that, Alec, but for Magnus… it seems too good to be true. He's never had someone to love him so unconditionally, it's not that he doesn't want to believe you" she continued, standing up when a squeak from the teapot signaled the water was ready.

"I want to give him that, to be that someone" Alec said, shy of a whisper. "But how can I do that if he doesn't let me?"

"I… Alec, maybe I shouldn't do this" the warlock murmured after a minute's silence. "But if you think that you can help Magnus… perhaps I can do something about it".

"What do you mean?" the warlock inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I know some things" Catarina explained. "I can conjure some of Magnus' memories and show them off to you as if you were there, except that you cannot touch or say anything that they can listen. You'll just stand there, like a ghost. It's only a memory, after all and you can't change the course of past. Like the typical cliché movie scene mundanes have" she sentenced.

"What?" Alec inquired once more, unable to process the warlock's words correctly.

"I can show you, if that's what you want, Alexander. If you think this can somehow help Magnus, I'll try to do it, though I won't be removing your memories if you don't like what you see" Catarina continued flatly. "Magnus is like a younger brother to me, and above everyone you should understand that I responsible of his welfare" she added. "He's my foolish, dumb younger brother, but I wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to him, so think before answering me" she concluded with a serious expression that nonetheless wasn't exempt of fondness.

"What?" Alec managed to articulate.

"Think about it, Alexander, that's all I'm asking for" the female warlock said gently. "Whatever you decide I'll do".

"I… Cat, I…" the Lightwood mumbled, feeling his mind race.

He wanted to say yes, he, quite honestly, wanted to accept Catarina's offer and _understand_ the reasons behind Magnus' actions.

However, they had already discussed enough about that matter. Hell, their breakup, the biggest inner problem they'd had to face during their relationship had been exactly because of _his_ foolish curiosity towards things Magnus didn't want him to know, for crying out loud.

On the other hand, if he could learn, if he could _understand_ , even a bit… if he could help Magnus, ease the warlock's fears when he woke up with a gasp and stiffened harder whenever Alec tried to place a hand on his shoulder, if only he had the right words on the tip of his tongue, if only he could let Magnus know that he wasn't alone anymore, that he could trust him.

"I… I'll do it, Catarina. _Please_ " he finally answered, sensing the woman's strong look on him.

"As you wish" she sighed, blinking away all sternness to let it become worry.

Closing her eyes, Catarina started murmuring something too fast for Alec to comprehend, her expression growing darker and grimier until she finally seemed to be supporting a lot of weight on her shoulders or holding back tears.

"Let the veil of lies lift and the golden light of truth enlighten a wanderer's thirst of knowledge" Alec heard the warlock said, although he wasn't certain of having listened correctly, seeing as immediately after her words a shudder ran down his spine, making him feel sick and almost dizzy.

With a flick of her wrist, Catarina conjured a flash of light that momentarily blinded Alec. He vaguely heard the dull sound of what he thought was his shaken body hitting the ground, although he didn't feel anything.

When he awoke again it took Alec's eyes a moment to get used to the dark atmosphere that surrounded him. When he finally did, he almost wished he hadn't.

He was standing in the middle of a diminutive room that seemed to him as a barn. On the floor, curled into a tiny ball and trying hardly to disappear into the wall sat a small boy, clutching his right arm to his body tightly in an unnatural way that almost made Alec think it was broken. Perhaps it was.

The only sound to be heard in the place was the boy's shaky intakes of breath. He wasn't crying, Alec noted with a vague sense of pity, although he did look like he'd just gotten a hold of himself after sobbing his eyes out for longer than a child his age should have, as was testified by the dry tears that framed… that framed green and yellow cat-like eyes.

"No… it can't… It can't be him" he let out shakily as a sudden wave of nausea hit him. "It can't be… Not him…"

Before he could kneel down at the filthy rags Alexander assumed Magnus called a bed, before he could try to talk to the boy, ignoring Catarina's advice the light that he now identified as the female warlock's magic flashed into the room robbing his already extended arm from even attempting to touch or console the broken figure that he'd vowed to protect for life.

With a muffled groan and a growing headache, Alec landed on the floor, too dizzy to stand when the glow died for a second time around him.

Blinking back his discomfort, Alec managed to focus his eyes, grimacing. This time, he was welcomed by a bright room, the light that entered the windows of a humble house. Guiding his eyes to the small table that was placed in the middle of the room, Alec recognized the silhouette of a man sitting in a white wooden chair, his back turned to the shadowhunter. In front of him, Magnus, of around eight now remained standing. There was no food or even an empty plate in front of him.

"Father, could I―" Magnus started to say, being cut off by a despise-filled glare thrown in his direction.

"I've repeated it to you a thousandth times and I'm growing tired of it, you demon's spawn. Don't your sinner's mouth dare call me that!" the man barked, thumping the silverware he was using to the table, bringing himself to his feet.

"But Father I only―"

"What did I say about your usage of words, demon child!" the man spat disdainfully.

In a fluent movement the man raised his right hand, forcing a flinch onto Magnus' body. He didn't even try to move out of his stepfather's reach and merely shut his eyes closed. Before Alec's reflexes could pull him out of his state and make him react to the hostile actions the man was already letting his hand fall to slap the young boy's cheek.

Alec, too stunned to be capable of uttering a word or making a move was forced by something he couldn't even define to focus on the young warlock, who didn't dare let out a distressed sound.

Hands shaking in anger, Alec only managed to begin raising to his feet before the light obfuscated him once more, taking away from him whatever strength the previous voyages had left within him.

By the time the blazing glow had died, the Lightwood heir was nearly too dizzy to attempt to focus. However, an unchallengeable need to pull himself from his consuming worry forced Alec to stumble to his feet and push away that sense of incompetence until he vaguely regained his capacity to orientate himself.

He distantly distinguished a watery sound, his ears curling around a muffled cry and upon straining harder he was able to make out harsh words spat through teeth gritted in loathing, but all that seemed to come from far away, blurred into a murmur so distant that it almost made Alec ask himself why he cared.

That until his clouded gaze landed on the floor and he noticed the red stains that marred the filthy construction that he recognized as the barn of the first memory. After that, in a sudden, in a deafening way, the painful cries became too real, too clear, and all that he could do was feel his head snap to his right side, towards the despaired sounds, almost as if it had been pulled by a force out of his control.

Magnus, of course, was there, and so was that despicable male that Alec recognized as the warlock's stepfather.

This time, not even surprise kept the blazing fury from exploding in Alec's body, the heat of wrath from his face because if only, _if only_ he could just become tangible in that dimension then how would he _enjoy_ ripping that man apart.

He had never rejoiced in his job. He killed because he had to, because it was a matter of fight or die, although often times he'd wish for peace, for a comfy couch and a silent night. That was not the case in that moment, not when he was in front of such a vile creature, when it was so easy to see that the world would have been a better place if only people ―monsters― like him ceased toe exist.

However, a warrior as he was, not even anger, not even duty were able to stop his heart from skipping a beat or his whole body from physically aching to just stop everything and take that broken boy's form in his arms and _protect_ him―with his life, with his honor, with whatever he had.

That boy, he forced himself to say, because it wasn't Magnus, he couldn't think of him as Magnus, because Magnus Bane, the Magnus Bane he knew and was married to would never had pleaded or begged in that heart-wrenching way the child in front of him was doing.

Because this time what he saw was ten times as revolving as the one before, he noted when his eyes focused on the large earthenware jar, on the boy's bloodied nose and contorted features that seemed more like part of a Dantesque play than human every time that despicable man gripped him by the hair and submerged him up to the shoulders in the water, forcing the cold liquid into his nose and lungs and windpipe.

But that boy ―Magnus, he reminded himself hollowly, Magnus― was no simple human and no matter that Alec had already raised a seraph blade that the shadowhunter was unaware of having taken out, gripping it so tightly he wasn't far away of breaking it, it was Magnus himself who made the first move to stop his victimizer.

It was a snap, the sound of something breaking, crashing into pieces after more pressure than it could handle had been forced onto it, so sudden that Alec himself stepped back before recognizing the air tensing with magic―Magnus' magic, he would have known that anywhere, even when this was a wild force instead of the controlled one the warlock bended in the current world.

By the time Alec recovered from the blinding rush of energy the man ―that monster― lied unconscious on the floor, five feet from where he'd been standing the last time Alec had seen him. He couldn't have cared less about him, and so his sapphire eyes were rapidly scanning the place in search of the only thing that mattered to him―Magnus and no one else but him.

Pallid and with a nose turned on an unnatural angle but alive, Magnus gripped the sides of the vat for support. Gulping and coughing but breathing, Magnus shakily clung to the one thing he had―a moment of peace to recover from his previous attack and get prepared for the next one.

On a new account, the sick realization hit Alec with enough strength to make him step back and he forced himself to swallow down a wave of nausea, knowing full-well he wasn't of use in such a disoriented state.

Feeling a need almost physical to walk up to that wounded child and promise him he would ―that everything would― be alright, Alec blinked back a prickling sensation in his eyes and told himself to focus, to _concentrate_. Magnus was alive, happy, healthy, _loved_. This wasn't real anymore.

It was that very desperate attempt to convince himself that things would turn out good in the end what allowed what happened next to catch Alexander so off guard.

The beginning was subtle―a low grunt that rapidly escalated to a scream filled with despair and hopelessness that escaped Magnus' throat as tears ran down his face.

Suddenly, Alec felt the air growing tense under the pressure of wild, indomitable magic, a spark lightning the wooden floor, instantly making it catch a fire that did not await for being approved to run free in the barn, barely ghosting over the hay before enlightening it. Magnus fainted, falling to the side of the infamous jar.

Horror-stricken, all Alec could do was stare in shock as he was rooted to his spot, too confused, too afraid to _do_ anything, feeling air grow heavy as its oxygen was sucked out by the flames.

This can't be happening, this can't be happening, he repeated to himself, the _possibilities_ of what _could_ have happened that time too terrible to even bring himself to think about them.

"Enough!" Alec said in a hoarse voice. "Enough! Catarina, get me out of here!"

For the first time that day he welcomed the blinding light with something close to relief, the itchiness feeling of old, _controlled_ magic on his body just shy of a gift from the Angel.

―*―*―

He woke up with a gasp, nearly swallowing down air as he sat up before dwelling on the fact that he wasn't on that godamned house anymore.

Blinking in surprise, Alec recognized he was in his own living room, laying on that hideous blue couch he despised but that Magnus loved, having argued that its color matched his eyes. After a moment or two, the shadowhunter made out Catarina's form leaning over him.

"What happened?" he choked, his breathing still too ragged for his liking.

"I forgot to warn you, I'm sorry" Catarina said. "Your mundane blood makes you susceptible to this kind of magic. You fainted".

Vaguely, Alec nodded as he sat up. He could feel a distant ache in the side of his head ―presumably where he had hit himself when he'd fallen―, but he couldn't have cared less. His heart thumped in his head and he felt dizzy.

"You knew?" he managed, a plea to be told that yes, that someone had held Magnus close and promised him he'd be fine after having heard about his past. However, Catarina merely shook her head.

"Magnus' essence, for obvious reasons, is very strong here, which allows me to conjure his memories. I can search for a specific time, his childhood in this case and show you what he consideres his most important or recurrent thoughts of that period. But I don't get to choose them. I don't know what you saw" she explained, a slight grimace marring her features.

Nodding, Alec couldn't help his growing headache, the cause of it very different from a simple concussion.

"I'm an idiot" he spat with horrified realization. Unable of doing anything else, Catarina simply put her hands on top of the Lightwood's, a mute promise of support.

A minute or two later Alec heard the distinct jingling sound of Magnus' keys ―or rather his key-holders, for that matter but who cared― turning the lock of the front door.

"Magnus" he breath out eagerly, standing up with a jolt and reaching the door in two long strides, drawing both of his arms around the warlock's neck as soon as the door laid ajar, the sight of Magnus smiling and beaming and healthy too relieving for him to even notice the overwhelmed tears that escaped his eyes.

"Hey, what's that?" Magnus questioned, letting go of Rafael's hand so he could wrap his right arm around Alec's back, still holding Max with his left one, supporting the toddler with his hip.

"I love you, Magnus. I love you" was all the young man could articulate before locking their lips, savoring the salty taste of Magnus that he distantly noticed mixed with his own tears.

"Alec, not that I don't like this greeting, but is everything alright?" Magnus asked again when they broke apart.

"It is" the shadowhunter nodded, feeling a tug at his right hand.

"Daddy" Rafael called him, eyes wide in confusion. "Are you okay?"

"Better than ever, honey" Alec promised, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the child's forehead before turning back to Magnus. "It's just that… your daddy is a fighter, you know?"

"I know" Max pipped in, although his childish voice made it sound more like 'I dough'. "You kill demons!"

"I wasn't talking about me, sweetie" Alec explained, eyes trained on Magnus despite how his right arm caressed Max's cheek in a soft praise.

Feeling himself blush at the indirect compliment, Magnus couldn't help but shift his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other, letting his eyes wander away from Alec's orbs. Only then did he notice Catarina standing dutifully next to the blue couch, her hands placed in front of her, lips creased with worry, her expression so concerned that it was almost somber. And then everything made sense.

Quite honestly, though, when he'd asked that favor from her he hadn't expected her to carry on with it that very day. He should have known better, after all. This was Catarina Loss they were talking about. Beautiful, strong, _selfless_ Catarina Loss.

"Alec…" he let out, shy of a whisper, turning to his husband. "I… I asked Catarina if she could show… Alec, I'm trying, I swear, but―"

"You don't have any explanations to give me" Alec cut him off gently, placing both his hands on top of Magnus' shoulders, as if to physically stop him from continuing.

"No, I know, but I want to do it. You deserve to know after all".

"No, I was an idiot last night. I should have _understood_ " the shadowhunter offered, letting frustration taint his words before they were smothered by fondness again. "I know enough. You're here and okay and you're the most amazing person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I'm lucky enough you even turned to look at me. I know enough".

"Alec..."

"No, I mean it" he promised softly. "I love you―that's enough" he assured, letting his hands move from Magnus' shoulders to his neck and pulling him down once more for another kiss, this time a slower one, grounding and full of affect.

"Glad to see you're doing fine here" a voice from behind them said, startling them.

"Aunt Cat!" both children screamed in eager surprise, Rafael jumping forward to circle her waist as Max shifted his weight in Magnus' arms until his father let him go off to Catarina's.

"I'm glad to see you too, little monsters" the female warlock laughed.

"Go put another chair at the table, your aunt is staying for supper" Alec ordered Rafael, who with a dutiful nod hurried inside the house to do as told.

"I'll go with you" Catarina offered, sending a last meaningful glare in the couple's direction before disappearing into the house.

Thankful that the female warlock had caught the cue, Alec leaned down, letting his head rest on the crook of Magnus' neck, admiring the way his scent instantly made him relax, a sense of security flooding him and he wondered… wondered if he was that for the warlock, a safe place, an anchor, a―

"Thank you" Magnus cut his musings off, voice so soft he might as well have been speaking to himself. Except that he wasn't because he wasn't alone anymore.

"No. Thank you" Alec whispered back just as gently, deciding it was his turn to make Magnus feel protected as he circled the warlock's waist, pressing a fast peck to the corner of Magnus' lips before they fully entered the house, Alec kicking the door slightly with his talon to close it.

Perhaps some things, the Lightwood thought, really were meant to remain secret, hidden, not for a reason other than the fact that it hurt simply too much to bring them back. However, what if you needed to revive those things in order to overcome them, to pick the broken pieces and continue?

He didn't care, Alec decided, whichever way it was, he didn't care as long as he had those two children looking up to him, a family ―of both blood and bonds― and Magnus' beaming eyes by his side.

He couldn't care, he resolved, because not even the darkest of pasts had robbed the beaming light that shone in that warlock's orbs.

* * *

 **Well... this is it. I promise you, this hurt me too. A lot. Writing it was a physical pain, I swear to you. In the end I'm also not quite convinced of the parts about Magnus' past, to be very honest, I think there's something missing to them. I wanted to try to correct it, but in the end time ate me alive and so I couldn't do it, but feel free to point out if you think something could be changed.**

 **Also... yeah, the ending was sweet, wasn't it? This is probably my favorite one-shot of the story, so I really hope you liked it! Read you tomorrow and take care! ;)**


	6. Satires and Broken Hearts

**Okay, once again, guys, I'm warning you from the start: this isn't the cute, fluffy story I usually write when it comes to these guys. You know I'm fond of Angst, usually there's Hurt/Comfort at the end, but this isn't the case in this story. Writing it down hurt as hell and I almost teared up while transcribing, but this needed to be done.**

 **I'm actually not quite sure of where to add this note, whether of at the beginning or at the end, so I'm just going to plop it here: for years I've read fics in which Alec dies and then Magnus is left to mourn him, they're not married, they just got married, before the children, after them, Rafael is in his eighties, the children are under ten, it doesn't matter. The thing is that all of this had me thinking well, of course Alec will die and all of that, but knowing Cassandra and the world she's created, how can we so sure that Alec will be the first one to die? Magnus is immortal, but not invulnerable so, in truth, what makes us think that he isn't going to die and leave Alec alone to mourn him?**

 **So, every fandom needs a trashy person to make everyone else's life miserable and I aspire to be that person (I'm just kidding, guys, you know I love you), so... here we go!**

 **I'm not going to say that I hope you enjoy it because chances are you probably won't, but I hope that, at least, by the end of this you can say that it was worth reading.**

* * *

 ** _Thursday-Take My Strength Day_**

 ** _Satires and Empty Hearts_**

* * *

It was sudden, unexpected. It came so out of nowhere, so much like a bucket of cold water that with a good relieving help of imagination, Alec could almost fool himself into believing that this wasn't true, that none of it had happened, that this was all a satire or a cruel tragedy. Better yet, a nightmare, a horrible game that his mind was playing on him.

Only that it wasn't.

It was no dream, no nightmare even, it was the horrible, agonizing truth—Magnus was dead. Simple, a statement so easy to say that it only made the words all the more painful to hear aloud.

Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, his husband, the most amazing person he'd ever met—was dead.

Dead. Dead. Dead—the infamous word continued to repeat itself in his mind. Over and over again. Endlessly. Senselessly.

Dead. Magnus Bane was dead.

It had all happened too fast. He was supposed to track a bunch of Moloch demons along with Isabelle. An easy task to carry on with, quite honestly. Then Magnus had decided to go with them and help them out. 'I've fought by your side before' he'd said. 'And you should be thankful that I'm willing to participate in such an unfashionable activity for you'. He'd laughed it off, because Alec knew, he just knew that this was Magnus' way to say he was worried and wanted to keep an eye on them.

Killing the demons was fast. Easy. A child's game, almost too much so. That wasn't even the problem.

He got distracted, Alec had to admit. One of the demon's claws scarped against Isabelle's right arm before her whip curled around its neck, making the demon disappear into a rain of sparkling dust.

It was after that —way after it, when it was already unforgivingly late— that Alec realized he had disregarded the shadowhunter's most sacred rule—do not, under any circumstances, let your feelings cloud your judgment. Especially not in battle.

Oh, but he had been too childish, too foolish, ignoring advice and knowledge, allowing his eyes to fall and focus solely on his sister because, on the bright side, despite her recent wound, Isabelle had just killed the last demon.

That was not the first time he saw Isabelle get hurt, not the first time a bloody wound marred her skin and yet… why was it that for a moment —for a precious, life-saving moment— he was only capable of focusing on her?

It happened too fast, a last, sixth demon, a Scorpios this time came out of the shadows, at Alec's back and before he could even react or become conscious of the demon's presence, Alec… he felt Magnus' hands on his sides, pushing him out of the way just in time to take his place and receive the demon's sting right on the chest.

Eyes wide in horror, Alec's reflexes weren't enough to make him step forward and attack or even jump to put himself in a safer place. It wasn't until Isabelle, fierce and alert forged forward, throwing her whip to counterattack and kill the creature that reality hit Alec like a strong blow, making him realize what had happened in quick motion.

Catching Magnus in his arms so he didn't hit the ground, Alec was dragged by the warlock's weight to his knees, although he was not even aware of the numb pain that started spreading in his legs, his hands too busy pushing away Magnus' ragged clothes from the open —and deep, deeper than Alec wanted to realize— wound in his chest.

"You'll be alright. You'll be alright" he muttered frantically, his hands trying their best to stop the blood from leaving Magnus' body, not caring —not even noticing— the liquid that tainted his long fingers.

"Alexander, calm down" Magnus said, his voice way lower, way huskier than it should have been. "Calm down".

"No, no please, just let me… let me, I—"

"Alec" Isabelle whispered next to him, her own minimal wound, barely even so, forgotten, a supporting hand placed on his right shoulder as she slowly took a seat by his side.

"I have it covered" the blue-eyed boy managed shakily. "Just let me—let me…"

"Alexander, _please_ " Magnus breath out, the silent begging in his voice so unlike him, so out of place that Alec didn't have the strength just _not_ raising his sapphire orbs from that hideous wound to meet them with Magnus' eyes.

"Magnus, don't" he said, shy of a pleading as the first infamous tears made its way to his eyes. "Don't".

Shaking his head slightly —slowly too, to hide his grimace as best as he could—, Magnus raised a blood-stained hand to take Alec's.

"It's okay, don't worry" he promised, a soft smile that seemed almost tired placed upon his lips.

"You'll be alright, you'll be alright. We'll save you, like you've saved us a thousand times" Alec continued to say, too desperate to hold back a sob that had somehow and despite all of his shadowhunter training managed to climb his throat.

"Alec, please" Isabelle offered, swallowing every emotion from her voice because she had to be strong for her brother. Still, he ignored her, his hands trembling as he pulled back strands of Magnus' hair, leaving red marks on the warlock's gorgeous features, although he didn't see them, his sight too blurred by his own tears.

"Alexander, take my hand" Magnus asked, not very much away from a whisper, and the shadowhunter complied almost out of mere reflex, giving the bleeding warlock his right hand, the one that he still wasn't holding.

Magnus' touch, despite the blood-loss, despite the wound, despite everything, was still warm, and the sudden realization that soon he wouldn't have that dear comfort to turn to after a hard day or an argument with his mother only made Alec cry harder after a moment of silent panic swelling up in his chest.

"Alexander, take my hands" Magnus repeated, feeling his own orbs cover with a thin veil of tears. "And take my strength too. Whatever of it you can use it to—to keep yourself going".

"No, no… Don't you dare, Magnus Bane! Don't you fucking dare! No, _please_ …" Alec let out in what was meant to be a scream but that rather came out as a shaky plea.

"Alec, you know you weren't my first" the warlock continued, raising his right hand entwined with Alec's left to caress the boy's cheek, feeling him press into his touch. "But you were the one who showed me what love even meant, the only one who loved me and whom I loved back. And for that I was blessed. I don't know by whom" he offered, a wisful smile dancing on his lips.

"Don't say that, Magnus" Alec managed in a coy whisper. "You'll be fine, you—"

"I'm sorry, my dear. I'm truly sorry. For leaving you, for… for not being enough, after you made me so happy" Magnus added, and something crashed, crashed and consumed into flames when, to Alec's despair the pressure in his hands offered by the warlock's fingers lessened, his limps becoming lax and that light —warming, welcoming, wonderful light— was banned from Magnus' emerald eyes.

"No, no, no! Please Raziel not him" he murmured to no end, falling to the warlock's chest, letting tears mix with blood and hurt and broken dreams. "No, no, no!"

He distantly felt Isabelle's gentle tug at his arms, vaguely heard the girl's silent sobs that echoed his own, much harder, much airless, because all that resounded in his ears was one phrase. _I'm immortal, but not invulnerable_. _I'm immortal but not invulnerable_.

He'd had the longest of times to understand, to get used to and grow comfortable with the idea —the fact, almost—, of not being Magnus' last, of withering and perishing, but at least he had the certainty that he'd grow old, see his hair turn silver and his hands become wrinkled with _him_ , with Magnus' arms around his waist and sweet words of 'I love you, my sapphire-eyed prince' echoing in his hears, not agonizing screams and his own sobs to turn to.

And now, suddenly, unexpectedly, he found himself alone, empty-handed and what was worse, empty-hearted, with an ache that demanded a little too loudly to be felt to be considered numb.

He'd lost him, he finally admitted to himself. He'd lost the one and only person that had always been by his side, willing to take his hands and prepare him a cup of tea whenever he'd had a bad day. The one and only who made darkness turn into light just with the gleam of his eyes.

It was all gone, disappeared into thin air, into a venomous claw and a broken heart.

Somehow, though, a second thought made its way to his mind right then, as Isabelle murmured wavering 'It'll be alright's to him, the same he'd said to Magnus moments in the past, what an irony.

If he could, he mused, by his own suffering and pain an eternal non-bleeding chest-wound save Magnus from feeling this emptiness, these oxygen-less breaths, then so be it, so be it with all its fucking letter, Alexander thought helplessly, finally giving into the childish urge of throwing his arms around Isabelle's shoulders and cry into his sister's neck.

What an irony was life, how much it gave and how much it took, how many things it promised with crossed fingers behind its back and a warm smile on its lips. What a tragedy or, no, what a satire was life, offering a rose bouquet that dripped lies and treason. And what a fool, what a fool had he been for trusting those deceiving hoaxes, for believing that his story —for once, for once— would end in a 'Lived happily ever after'.

But no. _Check mate, Life_ , he decided. No, life hadn't won, not that time, because it would be a cold day in Hell before Alec had allowed Magnus to feel that agonizing pain instead of taking his place and carrying on without him, just to absolve him of the suffering, just like Magnus had taken his place and received a fatal wound.

No, it was fine, it was fine if all he had were satires and empty hearts.

* * *

 **So... yeah. I promise you that this hurt my heart. I apologize for the feels that you didn't need, I swear I'm regretful right now. This is the second mayor character that I actually kill (if I've ever killed anyone else it wasn't important because I currebtly can't remember), the first one was Percy Jackson in case you were wondering.**

 **Anyways, as things turn out I can deal better with killing a character or badly wounding him than with physically hurting a child. For yesterday's one-shot (Dark Pasts and Beaming Orbs) it took a lot or strain and of effort to write those small glimpses of Magnus' troubled childhood than it hurt to make a random demon kill him. There you have my morals.**

 **Either way, tomorrow Malec Week reaches its end, so please feel free to tell me how you'd liked this event.**

 **Read you tomorrow!**


	7. Heartbeats and Night Missions

**Okay, guys! Here we are one last time (for now, of course you'll see more Malec written by me soon enough). I apologize once more for yesterday's heartbreak, but right now I'm going to offer you a sweet drabble so you forgive me. This is just fluff so go on and enjoy, sweethearts!**

* * *

 _ **Friday-Missing Scene Day**_

 _ **Heartbeats and Night Missions**_

* * *

Initially Alec couldn't stand Magnus' heart-beat. The shadowhunter found its slow pace unnerving and almost made him scream for the warlock to hurry up because the distance between every _thump, thump_ got him on his nerves, always making Alec think that he was sick or injured to explain the retarded beat.

However, as time went by and after several months of sharing an apartment and a bed, after several months during which the first thing Alec did whenever he returned from a mission was plop his head on Magnus' chest, the shadowhunter learned to appreciate the even heart-beat of the warlock, the way it always soothed him to sleep and made all the problems and demons seem far, far away to the point that now he makes sure that he wraps his arms around Magnus' left side, so he can rest his head right on top of the warlock's heart and listen to its slow _thump, thump_.

Also, Alec is not someone to randomly tell Magnus that he loves him―he doesn't do it at night, not when they turn off the lights or in the morning when Magnus offers him a cup of tea.

It's not that he doesn't all but adore the way Magnus' lips twitch mischievously or how his eyes sparkle whenever the warlock looks down at him. It's just that… the words still have a foreign taste in his tongue, as if they are meant for being thought rather than said, for being whispered in the darkness rather than screamed under the sunlight.

Despite that, whenever Alec leaves for a night patrol or a mission, whenever he knows he'll have to fight, Alec draws his arms around Magnus' shoulders and whispers a firm 'I love you' into his ear, because he knows that could be the last time he said it, the last opportunity he was given to remind the warlock how much he meant to him.

And Magnus knows that, too, and so he holds him for a little longer before replying 'I love you too'.

* * *

 **Alright, guys, this is the end of Malec Week 2016! I hope with my whole shipper heart that you enjoyed this little something! If you want to know what I'm up to you can follow me on my Facebook account dedicated to fanfiction, Karen Hikari, just the same, my picture is a girl with red glasses and reading.**

 **Anyways, please comment and let me know your opinion! I love you!**


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